The apartments

The Madison has a mix of convertible, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Floor plans and near real-time availability are accessible online.

Views. Most of the surrounding development doesn’t rise above 4- or 5-stories in height, so upper-floor units at The Madison enjoy striking views of the downtown skyline. The above view is from an 8-story building several blocks south of The Madison.

Amenities, services, policies

On-site amenities include a pool and sundeck, a landscaped courtyard, a workout facility and pet recreation area. The building has 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space fronting Madison Street.

The Madison has 227 on-site parking spaces, an unusually high number for a 216-unit building. Street-level parking in the area is very scarce at most times, and parking is in high demand.

The location

The Madison is located on a pedestrian-friendly stretch of Madison Street lined with low-rise buildings, bars, restaurants and local service establishments. It’s a pleasant environment with a neighborhood feel.

Walk Score gives the location a “Very Walkable” score of 88 and an “Excellent Transit” score of 82. The location is more pedestrian- and transit-friendly than sites that have been given far higher scores by Walk Score.

Shopping. Residents at The Madison have a good variety of grocery shopping options. There’s a recently-opened Target four blocks from the building.

The Mariano’s a half-mile east of The Madison has been generating a lot of positive buzz and drawing crowds to a large selection of prepared foods and craft beers. Jewel-Osco and Whole Foods also have locations nearby.

Dining, nightlife. The West Loop is an almost indescribably-rich dining and nightlife venue. The thriving Randolph Street restaurant corridor is a few blocks north and Greektown is a few blocks east.

The venues that West Loopers come to love often lie beyond those well-known destination strips. Residents at The Madison won’t need to venture more than a block to hang out at Third Rail Tavern or The CrossRoads.

Parks, recreation. The location has good proximity to public parks and recreational opportunities.

The more than 7-acre Skinner Park, two blocks from the property, has a children’s playground, baseball fields, basketball courts, an athletic field for football or soccer and hosts popular events including Movies in the Parks.

A number of CTA bus routes serve the area and several stop outside the building on Madison.

The Madison has good access to the city’s expressway grid. Taxi service is readily available on Madison. Zipcar and Enterprise CarShare locations are nearby.

The competition

The West Loop apartment market is poised to become very competitive by the time The Madison opens next year.

The Madison’s most direct competitor is Luxe, which is next door at 1222 W Madison. The building also competes with K2, 365 N Halsted and 13Thirteen, 1313 W Randolph, and with Catalyst and Arkadia, two new projects that enjoy closer-in West Loop locations.

Rentals are typically available in a number of nearby condo buildings, sometimes at sharply lower rents than in the managed apartment buildings.